Indian Antiquary Vol 49

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 24

20
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ FEBRUARY, 1020
Commander, John Bowen, here near Callequilon : they took Captain Conaway from Bengal, selling ship and goods in shares, i.e., one third part to a marchant of Callequilon, another third to a merchant of Porca, the other third to Malpa [? Tam. Mallappan) the Dutoh broker of this place, which relation I had from Captain Bowen and several of his Company; then left the Coast and sailed for the Island of Madagascar, but in the way was lost on the Island of Mauritius, on St. Thomas' Reef,where they were most courteously received and feasted, their sick carried into their fort and cured by their doctor, and a new sloop sold them and supplied with all sorts of necessities for their cutting her and making her a brigantine, which they performed by the middle of March, and took their leave of the Governor, giving him 2,000 pieces of eight, their vessels and necessaries, leaving their lascars with him to be conveyed for Surat, and being invited to make it a place for refreshment, sailed for the Island of Madagascar, where at a place on the east coast called Maritan, the Captain with a gang settled themselves till two Scotch ships or vessels falling in the port were both surprised and taken by them.
"By another gang which was settled at St. Augustine (St. Augustine's Bay) the ship Prosperous (Captain Hilliard) was taken. The remainder went for New Mathelege, 10 whero they gave the King their brigantine, where I saw her and left her when the pirates sailed from thence. The pirates, having these three in their possession, in searching after one another, lost one of the Scotch vessels, but at last two met at Mayotta Comoros], where it was my misfortune to fall into their hands and detained by them after they had slain my chief mate and another European and plundered what they pleased, let the ship go and sailed for Methelage ; from thence to the islands of Mayotte and Johanna, from thence to the highlands of St. John's, off which and at Surat's river mouth they took two sail of Surat ships from Moca; she at the river's mouth was taken by Thomas Howard in the Prosperous, the other by John Bowen in the Speedy Return, e Scotch ship; having taken the following sums out of each ship, vizt., out of her taken at the river's mouth 168,000 pieces of eight, counting each piece of gold two pieces of eight. In the other ship was taken 88,000 pieces of eight, at the same reckoning. One ship they left adrift at Daman11 without anchor or cable, the other they carried to Rajapore. 13
"Thus by the help of our friends' (i.e., the Dutch of Mauritius) brigantine have been taken six sail of ships and hundreds of people) ruined. Here in Rajapore was both the pirates ships burnt and both Companies transported on board the Surat ship, detaining about 70 lagoars, mounting 56 guns and 164 fighting mon, of which part
Capt. John Conaway in the Borneo was taken by the Speaker (Capt. John Bowen) on the Malabar Coast, 28 October 1701. India Ofice Records, 0.0.7768.
6 Cully Quilou (Kdyankalam), a port in Quilon division, Travancore.-ED. • Porca (Purakkada) on the coast of Travancore.Ed.
Probably one of the group of small islands to the north of Mauritius-name now apparently forgotten.-ED.
• Probably Antongil Bay in the district or local kingdom of Androns whose principal fortress was Marotándrana.-ED.
There were the Speedy Return (Capt. Robert Drummond) and the Content Brigantine (Capt. Stowart) 19 This placo, called also in Episode XX infra (p. 62) Masse ledge, seems to represent Masomeloka on a emall inlet on the cast coast of Madagascar just below lat. 20°.ED. 11 Daman, on the coast of Gujarat.
"11 RAJApur, Ratnagiri District, Bombay.