their appearance than they were attacked by the
Dutch. Beaulieu was informed, “ That the Dutch
had represented to the governor and inhabitants of
that place, (Tikao in Sumatra,) that the French
were robbers, and meant only to observe the landing
place in order to sack them ; that they would
not assist our two commissaries any manner of way,
whether in health or sickness, nor give the least
relief to any of our men, bating some few sailors
that they stood in need of; and that the English
had served our men to the utmost of their power.”
He added, “ That the governor was very sensible
of the malice of the Dutch, who meant only to pm
gross the Indies to themselves, and had but lately
abused the king of Jacatra, and usurped his territories
; for which reason the king of Achin thought
fit to discharge them from Ticow.” *
The same writer affords, in the following anecdote,
a striking picture of the rancorous enmity
and illiberality of the different European nations
in India towards each other at this period. “ On
the 1st of February,” says he, “ I went ashore
again, and, by the way, met some Portuguese,
whom the king of Achin had laid in irons, and
who told me that the Dutch and English had a
design to poison me. I told them I did not believe
the English would do me any harm ; however,
I would be on my guard. They replied,
* Beaulieu’s Voyage in Harris, Vol. I. p. 728.
that, if I went to dine with the English captain
that day, I would never return j and very affectionately
begged me to avoid it, because they had
no hopes of being delivered from their captivity
but through my means. But, after all, pursuant
to my promise, I went and dined with the English
captain, Mr Roberts, who treated me very kindly
and handsomely, and gave me nothing to eat or
drink but what he and the rest of the company
took part of.” * In an audience which the French
commander had with the Achinese monarch, in
which he informed him of his opinion of the Dutch
and English, and what he had done to defeat their
avarice, “ This done,” says the voyager, “ the
king informed me by the Shahandar, that I was
both welcome and safe in his territories ; that, as
to the, business of trade, the Dutch and English
used heretofore to have pepper in his country at
an easy rate, but now that they had shewn such
flaming ingratitude, in making war upon the king
Of Bantam, who had formerly vouchsafed them a
kind reception, he had thereupon caused all the
pepper plants to be cut down for fear hereafter
they should prove the occasion of trouble; that, by
this means, the price of pepper was raised to 64
reals the bahar j and that, even at that price, he
did not much care to let them have it, knowing
* Beaulieu in Harris’s Collection, Y ol. I. p. 780*