Chap, II. between the Inhabitants 
It is very evident, from the whole Current of this Hif- 
tory of our Eaft- India Trade, that fuch as have been 
entrufted with the Management thereof, have had conti- 
nual Difficulties to ftruggle with ; whereas, our Rivals in 
this Trade, the Dutch , have all along enjoyed the full 
Protection of their Government ; and, at the fame time, 
have been allowed to manage their, own Concerns in fuch 
a Manner as feemed to them moft conducive to their own 
Intereft. But, of late Years, and fince our Company 
have had the Authority of Adis of Parliament to fupport 
them, they have, in fome meafure, gained upon the Dutch , 
efpecially in thole Countries where both Nations trade 
freely, and where, confequently, the Succefs of their La- 
bours muft, in a great meafure, depend upon the Inclina- 
tion of the Natives, and that Preference which their good 
Opinion gives to either Nation. 
In the Ifland of Sumatra particularly, the Englijh have 
extended their Trade with great Succefs, having not only 
a good Settlement at Acheh, but alfo at the other End of 
the Ifland, where their principal Settlement was Ben- 
coulen , which firft began to flourifh about the Year 1685. 
They had alfo another at Sillehar , where they likewife 
carried on a confiderable Commerce : By Degrees they 
became fo confiderable, that feveral of the little Princes of 
that Ifland, chofe to put themfelves under their Protection, 
as well to fecure themfelves from the Power of the Dutch , 
as that they may receive the Benefits of the Englijh Trade ; 
and have, generally fpeaking, continued very firm in their 
Attachment to the Company ; though they have been 
fometimes but indifferently treated. The firlt Inducement 
the Company had to fix their; Factories and Settlements on 
this Part of the Ifland was, the Advantage derived from 
the Pepper-Trade, carried on from Lampoun , which is in 
the Southern Part of the Ifland, and about twenty Leagues 
within the Streights of Sunda , very well fituated in a deep 
Bay. Here they had a good Trade for Pepper, till they 
were deprived of it in 1683, by the Dutch , in confequence 
of the famous War with the King of Bantam , which we 
have fo often had Occafion to mention : For, this Town 
of Lampoun lying oppofite to his Territories in the Ifland 
of Java , made likewife a Part of his Dominions ; and 
therefore, when the Dutch brought him entirely over to 
their Intereft, or, in other Words, which however mean 
the fame thing, and are the plain Englijh of the forego- 
ing Dutch Phrafe, had reduced him under their Yoke, 
they obliged him to break off all Commerce with the En- 
glijh , which put an End to the Pepper-Trade at Lampoun , 
and forced the Company to remove to the Place before- 
mentioned. 
The Country about Bencoulen is mountainous and woody, 
and in the Heart of the Ifland there are feveral Volcano’s, 
which render the Country fubject to Earth-quakes, and 
filled the Air fo full of malignant Vapours, that it is very 
far from being whollome. We may add to this, that the 
Town itfelf Hands in a Morafs, which obliges the Natives 
to build their Houfes upon Polls, to defend them from 
the bad Effects of the continual Moifture of the Soil. 
Thefe Inconveniencies did not hinder the Englijh from 
making it their principal Relldence in this Country, and 
where, for their greater Security, they erecfted a Fort, of 
no great Strength indeed, but which feemed fufficient to 
anfwer their Purpofes. This Fort was garrifoned with 
■Bugajfes , which is the Name given to the Macaffars when 
tranfplanted out of their own Country; and as they de- 
pended on thefe for military Services, fo with regard to 
their Revenues, they confided in the Chief of the Chinefe , 
who had the Title of Captain, a Thing cuftomary in all 
the Settlements where the Chinefe refide. As for the Na- 
tives, they lived, as they had formerly, under the Jurif- 
diclion of their own Princes, called in the Malayan Lan- 
guage Pangarans , of whom there were two that were par- 
ticularly under the Prote&ion of the Company. One 
whofe Dominions lay North from Bencoulen , and who 
was ftiled P angar an- Munco Rajah ; and the other called 
P angarang-Soonge-Etam, whofe Country lay to the South. 
Though their Territories were not large, yet they were 
divided into feveral Diftridts, each under a Governor, 
called a Dupatty, the Place of whofe Refidence was, in their 
Language, ftiled their Difan : And thefe Governors had 
of Great-Britain, Qjc. 911 
under them leffer Magiftrates, called Dattoes, The Com- 
pany had alfo a good Correfpondence with the moft 
powerful of the Princes in the inland Parts of. the Ifland, 
fuch as the Sultan Qutcheel, and, feveral others, which induc- 
ed them to believe they might take any Meafures they 
thought neceffary for the Advantage of the Company, 
and Eafe of the Eadlory. 
It was this that in the Year 1719, engaged the then 
Chief to think of removing from Bencoulen , where, from 
the Caufe before-mentioned, abundance of Englifh People 
died every Year; and it was with this View that a Place was 
fixed upon a few Miles diftant, for eredling a new Fort and 
Factory, which was to , be called Marlhrough Fort ; and 
the Ground being traced out, the Work began to be car- 
ried on with great Vigour and Spirit. But, it Teems, they 
had not fufficiently confulted the Temper and Difpofition 
of the Natives, who were not at all well pleafed with this 
Defign. There had been fome little Jealoufies and Heart- 
burnings amongft them, before, which not breaking out in- 
to an open Quarrel, had been over- looked ; but. thefe 
People conlidering with themfelves that this new Fortifi- 
cation rofe apace, and that it looked as if th c. Englijh were 
diffident of them, or had a Mind to punifli fome Offences 
that they hoped had been forgotten. They from thence 
grew absolutely difaff ebbed, and meditated nothing lefs 
than a total Revolt, and an abfolute Deftrublion of that 
Power which they now began to dread. They concealed, 
however, their Sentiments fo well, and fhewed fo little 
Sign of Uneafinefs or Refentment, that the Englifh went 
on without any Apprehenfion of what was contriving 
againft them, till it was on the Point of breaking out. 
The remaining Part of this Hiftory will beft appear, and 
the Conclufion of this Confciracy be moft naturally made 
known, from the following Account, written by the Per- 
fons principally concerned, to the Company’s chief Offi- 
cer in the Indies , which I have therefore chofen to infert, 
as containing the moft remarkable Piece of Hiftory within 
this Period of Time. 
To the Honourable jofepli Collet, Ffq-, P ref dent and 
Governor of Fort St. George, &c. 
Honoured Sir, 
“ T T is with the greateft Concern that we acquaint you 
“ JL with the Misfortunes that have befallen us and our 
“ honourable Mailers Affairs fince our Advices by the 
“ Queen and George Brigantine, wherein we did, with too 
<c much Confidence, allure, you of the perfecfl Peace and 
“ Tranquillity we then enjoyed at Mar through- Fort,, which 
u the Satisfaction the Natives feemed to exprefs in our 
“ Adminiftration, gave us but little Reafon to imagine 
“ would prove of fo lliort a Date. Our Pepper, for fome 
<s Time after, coming in very plentifully, and we having 
“ frequent Promifes from them of much greater Quanti- 
“ ties ready to be brought out of the Country, we had 
“ made a Progrefs in our Buildings, even beyond our own 
“ Expectations ; the Foundation of one Gorge and two Cur- 
u tains of our Fort-walls being laid, and raifed in Brick and 
“ Chinam a Foot above Ground, and the Earth laid open 
‘ c for a third, in the Space of a little more than a Month ; 
u and we had made fuch Provifion for Bricks and Chinam, 
“ that we Ihould have had fufficient to compleat the whole, 
“ which, at the Rate we had begun, might have been 
“ finilhed in lefs than twelve Months. Thus we thought 
“ ourfelves fuccefsful in our Undertaking ; and it was no 
“ fmall Pleafure to us, to think that, by diligently ferv - 
“ ing our Mailers, it would add to our Credit, and in a 
“ more peculiar Manner recommend us to their Favour 
“ hereafter : But, in the midll of our Profperity, all our 
Hopes were blafted by a fecret Combination of the 
“ whole Country againft us, which they certainly defign- 
“ ed to put in Execution whilft we had no Ship in the 
“ Road to affift us, the Metchlapatam having been at 
“ Bantal from the 21ft of January , but fortunately re- 
“ turned to our Affiftance the 1 8th of March , being 
“ but very few Days before this horrid Plot was difco- 
“ vered. 
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