Page Text
________________
258
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY..
(SEPTEMBER, 1879.
stature, lower somewhat then I am erect, and of people to make what shift we could to secure an excellent proportion. Actual in exercise, and ourselves from the enemys: this might the English wben euer hoe speaks seemes to smile a quioke and and Duch have done, leaving the towne and gooing peercing eye, and whiter then any of his people. over the river to Swalley to our shipps, which Hee is distrustfull, seacret, subtile, cruell, perfi- were then riding in Swalley hole, but it was dious, insulting over whomsoever he getts into thought more like Englishmen to make ourselves his power. Absolute in his commands, and in his ready to defend our liues and goods to the utterpunisbments more then severe, death or dismem most than by a flight to leaue mony, goods, house, bering being the punishment of every offence, if to merciless people, and were confirmd in a necessity require, venterous and desperate in resolution that the Dach alsoe determined the execution of his resolues as may appeare by this same, though there was no possibility of relieuing following instance. The King Vijapore sends one another, the Dach house beeing on the other downe his vnckell a most accomplished soldier, side of towne almost an English mile asunder. with 14000 men into Sevagee's country: the In order therfore to our better defence, the knowne vallor and experience of the man made president St. George Oxinden, a most worthy Seuagee conclude that his best way was to assasi- discreet courageous person, sent advice to our nate him in his owne armye by a sudden surprise. ships at Swalley of our condition, with his desires This conduct of this attempt, how dangerous to the Captains to spare him out of their ships soever, would haue been vndertaken by many of what men they could, and wee in the meane tyme his men of whose conduct hee might haue assured
endeavoured to fitt our house soe well as wee himselfe, but it seemes he would haue the action could, sending out for what quantity of pronision wholly his own, hee therefore with 400 as desperate of victualls, watter and pouder we could gett, of as himselfe enters the army vndiscovered, comes wich wee gott a competent store. Tow brass guns to the generalls tent, falls in upon them, kills the we procured that day from a marchant in towne, of guard, the generalls sonne, wounds the father, about three hundred weight A niece. And with whoe hardly escaped, seiseth on his daughter and old ship carriages mounted them, and made ports carries her away prisoner, and foroeth his way in our great gate for them to play out of to backe through the whole army, and returnes safe scoure a shorte passage to our house; that afterwithout any considerable loss, and afterward in noone we sent aboard a ship in the riuer for dispight of all the King of Vijapore could do, hee guns and had tow of about six hundred a piece tooke Rajapore, a great port, plundered it, and sent up in next morning with shott conuenient; seised our English marchants, Mr. Rivington, Mr.
some are sett to melt lead and make bullets, others Taylor, and digged vp the English house for with cheels to cutt lead into slugs, no hand idle treasure, and kept the marchants in prison about but all imployed to strengthen every place as tyme 8 months.
would give leaue to the best advantage. On Wednesday the 6th Janu: about eleven in the Weddensday men arrived to the number of forty morning, Sevagee arriued neere a great garden, odd, and bring with them tow brass guns more, our without the towne about a quarter of a mile, and
four smaller guns are then carried vp to the tope whilst hee was busied in pitching his tents, sent of the house and three of them planted to scoure his horsmen into the outward streets of the towne two greet streets, the four was bent vpon a rich to fire 'the houses, soe that in less than halfe
churles house (Hogee Said Beeg of whom more by an houer wee might behold from the tops of our and by) because it was equally of hight and being house two great pilliers of smoke, the certaine
posesed by the enemy might have beene dangerous signes of a great dissolation, and soe they continued
to our house ; Captaines are appointed and every burning that day and night, Thursday, Friday and
man quartered and order taken for relieuing one Saturday, still new fires raised, and every day
another vpon necessity; a fresh recrute of men noerer and neerer approaching our quarter of the coming of about twenty more, wee than began to towne, that the terror was great, I know youe will consider what houses nelere vs might bee most enssly belieue, and upon his first begining of his prejudiciall, and on one side wee tooke possession firing, the remainder of the people fled as thicke as of pagod, or Banian idol temple, which was just possible, so that on Thursday the streets were vnder our house, wich bauing taken wee were almost empty, wich at other tymes are exceeding much more secured on that quarter ; on the other thicke with people, and we the English in our Morish Mesecte where seuerall people were house, the Duch in theirs and some few marchants harboured, and had windowes into our outward of Turkey and Armenia, neighbours to our English yard, was thought good to bee cleared and shutt house, possessed of a Seraw or place of reception vpp, wich accordingly done by a party, all the for strangers, were left by the gouernor and his people sent to seeke some other place to harbour
| SR No. | 032500 |
| Book Title | Indian Antiquary Vol 08 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jas Burgess |
| Publisher | Swati Publications |
| Publication Year | 1984 |
| Total Pages | 404 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 19 MB |