9 1 8 An Uflorkal Account of the Inter courje ' - ' Book L 
fupplying foreign Markets with foreign Goods, The Co- 
lony is well-peopled, for there is fuppofed to be 80,000 
Inhabitants in the Towns and Villages », and there are ge- 
nerally about 4 or 500 Europeans refiding there, reckon- 
ing the Gentlemen, Merchants, Seamen, and Soldiers, 
Their Rice is brought by Sea from Gan jam and Orixa $ 
their Wheat from Surat and Bengal ; and their Fire- wood 
from the Iilands of Din, a low Point of Land that lies near 
Matchulipatam ; fo that an Enemy that is fuperior to them 
in Sea-Forces, may eafily diftrefs them. 
Mr. Lockyer , in his Account of this Place, tells us, 
that the Adminifcration is vetted in the Governor and 
Council, which confifts of fix grave Merchants in the 
Company’s Service •, and though thefe Officers have but 
fmall Salaries, yet their Perquifites and Advantages they 
derive from Trade, are fo conttderable as to enable them 
to make a good Figure while they live there, and carry 
home, notwithstanding, very large Eftates. He feems to 
differ with other Writers as to the Properties of the Soil 
and Climate ; and therefore it may not be amifs to attend 
a little to his Account. The Inhabitants, fays he, enjoy 
as per feci Health as they do in England , which is plainly 
ditto Vered in their ruddy Complexions, which few of our 
ocher Settlements can boaft. Fhe Heats in Summer are 
the greateft Inconveniency they labour under ; yet, I ne- 
ver heard of any ill Effect from them. The delicious 
Fruits that the Country abounds with, are a great Help 
in this Extremity ; nor are they wanting to themfelves in 
other Refpeds, Bathings and wet Coneys being often ap- 
ply’d with Succefs to the Relief of the panting. It feldom 
fails above four or five Hours in a Day, when the Sea- 
Breeze coming on, the Town feems to be new born. The 
Governor, during the hot Winds, retires to the Compa- 
ny's new Garden for Refrefhment, which he has made a 
very delightful Place of a barren one. Its coftly Gates, 
lovely Bowling-greens, fpacious Walks, Teal-pond, and 
Curiofities, preferved in feveral Divifions, are worthy to be 
admired. Lemons and Grapes grow there ; but fo much 
Pains is neceffary to bring either to Maturity, that a Bunch 
of one, or a Tingle Fruit of the other, will ftand its Owner 
in five Shillings before it is ripe. 
The Governor feldom goes abroad with lefs than three 
or fourfcore perfons armed, befides his Englijh Guards to 
attend him : He has two union Flags carried before him, 
and Country Mufick, enough to frighten a Stranger into 
Belief the Men were mad. Two Dubafiies attend to cool 
him with Fans, and drive away the Flies, that otherwife 
would moleft him. He is a Man of great Power, re- 
ipeded as a Prince by the Rajahs of the Country ; and is, in 
every Helped, as great, fave that thefe are for themfelves, 
this has Matters. When a Perfon of Note dies, the Fu- 
neral is foiemnized with the greateft Magnificence. The 
Governor, Council, and Gentlemen of the Town attend, 
nor are the Fair- Sex wanting in their Duty to their deceaf- 
ed Countrymen : The Executors are liberal in all Refpcds 
to exprefs a juft Concern for their Friend ; whence the Ce- 
remony is performed with all that is neceffary for the In- 
terment of a Chriftian. The Burying-Place is at the fur- 
ther End of the Black-Town, adorned with many ftately 
Tombs in Honour of the Defund ; fome with lofty 
Spires carved into different Fancies, after the Indian Man- 
ner: Others, in a lower Sphere, gravely exprefs the Me- 
rits of the Perfon for whofe fake they were ereded, and 
all in general have the moft curious Workmanlhip in 
India bellowed on them. 
Moft of the Powder expended in the Garrifon is made 
on the Ifland, about a Gun-fhot from the Town. It has 
not the Force of that which comes from England , for no 
other Reafon than not well incorporating the Ingredients. 
1 hey have the fineft Salt-Petre, and Brimftone, with good 
Charcoal, which ought to make the beft Powder ; but for 
want of fkilful Managers and good Contrivances, thefe 
Excellences are of no Effed. And, in truth, the Com- 
pany in other Cafes of the like Nature, are very much 
wanting to themfelves. There is not an Englijh Carpen- 
ter, Smith, Joiner, or other Artificer in the City, who 
knows half his X rade ; whence they are obliged to black 
Fellows for what they have Occafion for in thefe Trades j 
nor is there fo much as one Shop of any fort in the Englijh 
Townj the Benefit of which all the Dutch Settlements fuff 
fkiently demonftrate ; for they are fo fenfible of it, that 
they take due Care never to be deficient that way. This 
is a Thing eafily brought to pafs by a Body fo confiderable 
in the Kingdom. I ftiali rather admire it has been fo Ion® 
negleded, than offer at the Means for effeding it. Bow- 
ever, I wifh, for the Honour of the Englijh Nation, they 
would decline fending fuch diminutive, dwarftffi. crooked 
Recruits, as of late have gone to fupply their Settle ments. 
To fay no better can be had in Time of War, is an Eva- 
fion, my own Experience proves altogether light 1 for, 
fince it is no matter what Country in Europe they are of’ 
let but three Captains be fent to Ireland, in lefs than three 
Months they could raife a Regiment of picked Fellows, 
who would be able to do them Service ; befides, they 
look like Men, which is enough for them at Fort St. 
George. Qbjeding their Religion, looks like Partiality*', 
for the Topajes in India are all of the fame Principles 5 
our Officers lift none but Proteftants to ferve in our 
1 mops, wherefore that Country is quite over- run with 
Fifty Men, who are ready to ftarve for want of Em- 
ploy. 
But, to proceed regularly in our Hiftory of the Settle* 
ments of this Company. Along the Coaft of Coromandel , l 
there were formerly feveral Places along the Coaft to the 
Northward, which had European Fadories fettled in them, 
but are now negleded and unfrequented. There were al- 
fo fome Places farther up the Country, where the Englijh 
and Dutch fettled ; but the Rajahs, who pofittffed the ad- 
jacent Countries, giving great Interruption to Trade, by 
their unjuft and unreafonable Impofitions, obliged them 
to withdraw their Fadories. That of Matchulipatam was ' 
the la ft they quitted, and, about threefcore Years ago, was 
efteemed the moft flourifhing Colony tht Englijllhld in 
ali India ; but now their Houfe is deferred," and the 
Dutch , who remained behind them, are preparing to take 
the fame Courfe. It is not a great many Years ago fince 
the Mogul’s Viceroy, upon this Coaft, offered tlie^Gover- 
nor of Fort St. George , to make him a Prefent of the 
Iilands of Diu , and the Inhabitants were well inclined 
thereto ; but the Governor delayed taking Pofteffiori fo 
long, that both the Viceroy and the People changed their 
Minds ; and when he would have ereded a Fadory, or a 
Fort there, they would not permit it. 
Next to Matchulipatam is Narfipore , where the Englijh 
had a Fadory for long Cloth, for the Ufe of their Fadory 
of Matchulipatam , when they manufadured Chints there. 
It alfo affords good Teak- Timber for Building, and has a 
fine deep River, but a dangerous Bar, which "makes it lit- 
tle frequented. And patting round Carrango Point, a 
little up Carrango Bay, is Anger ang , that has the Benefit 
of a large deep River, that penetrates far up into the 
Continent. It has a Bar, foft at the Bottom, and three 
and an half Fathoms on it at High-Water. Flere the beft 
and fineft long Cloth is made that India affords, and is 
fold cheap •, but the inland Countries lying near the River, 
are in the Hands of feveral Rajahs ; and each being Sove- 
reign in his own fmall Dominions, lays fuch Impofi- 
tions and Exadions on the Cloth that comes down the Ri- 
ver, that they ruin that beneficial Trade of Anger ang, and 
make it little frequented. In Anno 1708, the Englijh 
from Vizagapatam. fetthd there; but whether the Fadory 
was ftarved for want of Money, or whether the conftitu- 
ent and conftituted Chiefs of the Fadories difagreed about 
dividing the Bear’s-Skin, I know not ; but the Fadory 
was foon withdrawn, and the Projed loft. 
Coafting along Shore, there are feveral little Ports be- 
tween Matchulipatam and Vizagapatam , befides Narjtpore 
and Angaran , but Wahow is the moft noted, for it pro- 
duces Rice for Exportation, befides fome Cloth, but it is 
not frequented by Europeans ; and therefore I proceed to 
Vizagapatam , a fortified Fadory belonging to the Englijh. 
It is regularly fortified with four little Baftions, and has 
about eighteen Guns mounted in it. It has the Advantage 
of a River, but a dangerous Bar to pafs over before we 
get into it. The Country about affords Cotton-Cloths 
both coarfe and fine, and the beft Dureas, or ftriped Muf- 
fins in India ; but the Fadory is generally heart-ftek for 
want of Money to refreffi it. 
In 
