The English, driven first from Jacatra, and then
from Bantam, and refused the liberty of building
Malayans, and spoiled the entertainment ; for immediately
the governor, without speaking one word, leaped out of one
of thè windows, to get as soon as he could to the fort. His
officers followed, and all the servants that attended were
soon in motion. Every one of them took the nearest way,
some but of the windows, others out of the doors, leaving
the three guests by themselves, who soon followed with all
the haste they could make, without knowing the meaning of
this sudden consternation of the governor and his people.
But by that time the captain, and Mr Richards, and his.
wife, were got to the fort ; the governor, who was arrived
before, stood at the door to receive them. As soon as they
were entered, die door was shut, all the soldiers and servants
being within already; nor was any man suffered to fetch
away the victuals, or any of the plate : but they fired several
guns to give notice to the Malayans that they were ready
for them ; but none of them came on. For this uproar was
occasioned by a Malayan canoe full of armed men that lay
skulking under the island, close by the shore ; and when the
Dutch boat went out the second time to fish, the Malayans
set on them suddenly and unexpected, with thein, cressets
and lances, and killing one or two, the rest leaped overboard,
and got away, for they were close by the shore ; and they
having no arms, were not able to have made any resistance.
It was about a mile from the fort, and being landed, every
one of them made what haste he could to the fort, and the
first that arrived was he who cried in that manner, and,
frighted the governor from suppei. Our boat was at this
time ashore for water, and was filling it in a small brook by
the banquetting-house. I know not whether our boat's
crew took notice of the alarm, but the Dutch called to
6
forts in Achin, were invited to Bencoolen and
other adjacent parts by the natives, with the view
of averting, what these apprehended a still greater
evil, the domination of the Dutch. It by no
means appears that the East India Company’s conduct
was such as to justify the confidence thus
placed in them. The illustrious voyager Dampier
was in the humble station of gunner of Bencoolen,
in the year 1690, but five years after the first formation
of the settlement, and says of it, “ The fort
was but sorrily governed when I was there ; nor
was there that care taken to keep up a fair correthem,
and bid them make haste aboard, which they did ; and
this made us keep good watch all night, having all our guns
loaded and primed for service. But it rained so hard all the
night, that I did not much fear being attacked by any Malayan;
being informed by one of our seamen, whom we took
in at Malacca, that the Malayans seldom or never make any
attack when it rains. It is what I had before observed of
other Indians, both East and West ; and though then they
might make their attacks with the greatest advantage on
men armed with hand-guns, ÿet I never knew it practised,
at which I have wondered ; for it is then we most fear them,
and they might then be most successful, because their arms,
which are usually lances and cresséts, which these Malayans
had,* could -not be damaged by the rain, as our guns would
be. But they cannot endure to be in the rain; and it was
in the evening, before the rain fell, that they assaulted the
Dutch boat.-—Dampier’s Voyages, Vol. II. p- 175—7*