Chap. II. 
to 
the EAST-INDIES, 
977 
Their Trade in this Part of the World has fuffered va- 
rious Alterations, being fometimes better and fometimes 
worfe, according to the Revolutions that have happened 
Jn that Part of the World, and the Accidents which be- 
fel the Company in Europe . However, as far as I am 
able to judge, it was moft confiderable about twenty-four 
Years after it was firft fettled ; for then, I find, a very 
eminent Dutch Writer comparing the Danijh Trade to that 
,of the Englijhy and affirming that the former, with a lit- 
tle Application, might be made as confiderable as the lat- 
ter. The Reader will obferve, that this was faid in the 
Time of our civil Wars, when, as we have fhewn, in our 
Hiftory of the Englijh Company, their Trade declined ex- 
ceedingly ; fo that it is not at all improbable, that this Ob- 
fervation might be then true. It is, notwithftanding, cer- 
tain, that the Trade of the Danes^ was rather profitable to 
private Perfons, fuch as the Governor of Tranquebar, and 
the principal Merchants employed there, than to the Pub- 
lick *, and the Reafon was plainly this, that they feldom 
received any confiderable Supplies from Denmark , and as 
feldom fent home Ships laden with the Commodities and 
Manufactures of the Indies ; fo that they fubfifted chiefly 
by the Trade they carried on with their Neighbours and 
into different Parts of Afia , fince they fometimes fent Ships 
as far as China , from whence they obtained confiderable 
Returns. 
Rut they had from their firft Eflabliffiment very great 
Difficulties to ftruggle with, being very often engaged in 
Wars with their Indian Neighbours, and very feldom 
upon good Terms with the reft of the European Nations 
fettled in India , who, though they affedted to defpife and 
contemn the Danes , and to treat their Trade as very des- 
picable and inconfiderable, yet they could not help envy- 
ing them even the little Trade they had, to which, per- 
haps, the convenient Situation of their Fortrefs might, in 
fome meafure, contribute, from a Perfuafion that, in other 
Hands, it might become a much greater Confequence, 
more efpecially with regard to the Diamond Trade, for 
which, without doubt, it ftands as well, or better, than 
any of the European Factories in that Part of the 
World. 
But the moft confiderable War in which they were ever 
engaged, was towards the latter End of the laft Century, 
when this Fortrefs very narrowly efcaped being taken, of 
which, as it is the moft remarkable Tranfadtion of which 
I can obtain any Account, I think it will not be amifs to 
infill upon it a little more largely, the rather, becaufe it 
was the principal Occafion of the old Danijh Company 
running into Debt, and bringing their Affairs into a worfe 
Condition than they ever were before. 
3. The Ground of the War was this ; the Danijh Co- 
lony lying on the Frontiers of the Indian Rajah of Tanjour , 
the Dutch ftirred him up to attack and deftroy it, pro- 
rrufing him confiderable Affiftance under Hand, and to 
give him a Tun of Gold, which, as we have elfewhere 
fhewn, amounts to above Ten thoufand Pounds of our 
Money, for the Place when taken. That this was a very 
bafe and barbarous Defign, an Englijh Reader will very 
readily allow *, but it was, neverthelefs, very well con- 
trived, and had very near taken Effedt, for the Indian 
Prince was very brave in his Perfon, efteemed by his Coun- 
trymen a good Officer, and had, -without doubt. Troops 
enough to have done his Bufincfs, if he had not been pre- 
vented by the Interpofition of Mr. Pitt , who was at that 
Time Governor of Fort St. George , who very generoufly 
alTifced the Danes , from a Principle of Humanity, which 
ought to be applauded. 
We have, by this Means, a tolerable Account of the 
whole Tranfadtion, which I ffiall give in as few Words as 
poffible. When the Prince of Tanjour had refolved upon 
this Enterprize, he affembled the- whole Force of his Do- 
minions, and marched diredtly towards Tranquebar , in or- 
der to attack it. The Indians were fo extremely cautious, 
that they began to open their Trenches above a Mile from 
the Town, and carried on two Attacks •, the Earth being 
a dry Sand, they drove down the Bodies of Cocoa-nut 
Trees, inftead of Stakes, both on the Infide and on the 
out, and filled up the Space between them with Sand, fo 
that their Trenches were almoft as thick as a. Town-wall^, 
Numb.. 6 y». 
and very high,fo that they were perfedlly covered from our 
Fire. They had about twenty or thirty thoufand Men 
employed in this Siege, and with incredible Labour and 
Patience, in about five Months Time, they Drought down 
their Trenches within PiftohShot of the Walls, and with 
their Batteries, had almoft ruined one of the Baftions, 
when the Englijh Reinforcements arrived. The Danes 
expeded every Day an Aflault, and were preparing to 
move their Effeas into the Fort and quit the Town j. and 
indeed they gave the Enemy very little Difturoance, as far 
as I can learn, in carrying on their Works,- for the Garri- 
fon did not confift of more than two hundred Europeans , 
as many Indian Portugueze , and about a thoufand Blacks % 
and, befides the Fort they had to defend, the Circumfe- 
rence of the Town-wail was not lefs than a Mile and an 
half. It was faced with Stone indeed, but had no Ditch* 
and therefore the Danes , to prevent the Enemy’s fealing 
it, had fet high Pallifadoes upon the Top of the Ram- 
parts. 
A Day or two after the EngliJIo arrived, a Sally was re- 
folved upon, and about Sun-rife in k the Morning, a De- 
tachment of the Blacks marched out of a Baftion, and 
were followed by the Englijh j but the Blacks were no 
fooner out of the Gates, than they opened to the Right 
and Left, and made Room for the Englijh to advance, ne- 
ver intending to engage t hem fe Ives-. A Body of the Ene- 
my moved out of their Trenches to oppofe our Troops, 
and came on in tolerable Order with their Broad-fwords 
and Shields, without -fhooting an Arrow, or firing a, 
Piece. They were all decently cloathed in white Vefts 
and Turbants, and feemed determined to engage cur Peo- 
ple hand to hand, in the Plain between the Town and the 
Trenches. The Englijh' Officers were in fome Pain, fee- 
ing this Body of Indians advance with that Refoiution* 
knowing their Men were feveral of them new raifed, and 
mixed with Portugueze , on whom there is very little De- 
pendence: But our great Guns from the Walls, beginning 
to play upon the Enemy, put them into Confufion, and 
they retired to their Trenches* with much greater Haftet 
than they came out. And our Men advancing, while they 
were in that Confternation, drove them ftiil farther. But; 
there being no Preparations made for levelling the Trenches, 
and the Day growing hot, the Englijh retired into the' 
Town, and the Enemy returned into their Works, with- 
out any great Lofs on either Side. 
A few Days after, it was refolved to make another Sal- 
ly, with the greateft Part of the Garrifon, and accordingly 
they marched out at the great Gate, which faced their 
principal Attack ; the Black Soldiers, according to Cuf- 
tom, retired under the Walls almoft as foon as they were 
out, to make Room for the Europeans . The Enemy- 
kept clofe in their Trenches firing at us ; but between 
the two Attacks upon the Plain, there flood a confidera- 
ble Body of Mufketeers and Pike-men, againft whom 
the Englijh Commander thought fit to advance ; but ha 
had not marched many Paces, before an unlucky Ball 
wounded him in the Middle of his Foot, which compell- 
ed him to quit the Field. 
The next Officer thereupon took upon him the Com- 
mand of the Englijh , and led them towards the Enemy,, 
who were drawn up in the Plain •, that Body retreating, 
drew the Englijh fo far from the Town, that they were 
intercepted by the Moorijh Horfe 5 and theDanes> whom 
the Englijh expedted to have fupported them, never ad- 
vanced a Step. In this Exigency, the Englijh Officer 
refolved to throw himfelf into the Enemy’s Trenches, 
finding it impoffible to retreat into the Town over the^ 
Plain •, and having thrown fome Granades into the 
Trenches, the Indians were fo pomplaifant as to quit 
them, and make Room for the EngliJIo , who marched 
quite along them towards the Town, till they came to 
the End of the Works ; but here, they were met by thf 
Moorijh Horfe j yet upon making one general Fire, in 
which great Execution was done,, the' Horfe fcoured off, 
and left the Englijh at Liberty to march on to the Walls, 
where they found the Danes drawn up in perfect Se- 
curity. 
In this Adlion, the Englijh were one half of them kill- 
ed or wounded. Among others, one of the Granadeers, 
11 * 
