Indian Antiquary Vol 49

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

Page 64

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
clean the Cassandra and from thence to the Red Sea, where, if they met with no success, they would to their old friends at Cochin and sell their diamonds they had taken in the Portuguese ship (which since as the Viceroy told me, were to the value of between three and four millions of dollars) and thence to make the best of their way into the China Seas, believing there might be men-of-war or other ships fitted out in pursuit of them.
60
[APRIL, 1920
"During my stay on the island there arrived in May two ships from France bound to Madagascar for slaves and from thence to Missisippi. The beginning of June arrived another from St. Malo for China, and in her way to settle the Island of Pullecondore [Pulo Condore], having on board her a Governor, two Engineers and about one hundred soldiers and officers. They made but very little stay. When they sailed I took care to write to China to acquaint your Honours of what is herein mentioned.
"On the first of November last arrived the Triton, French ship from Mocha, last, from the Island of Mauritius, where had stayed forty days, during which time had taken possession of the said island by erecting a large Cross and leaving a French flag flying."3"
"The Governor of this place had some time before been in expectation of ships from France for that purpose, but none coming had begun to build a small vessel to send up there with people to settle it, much fearing that the Ostenders would do it before them, which he had an account they intended.
"Having now an opportunity, I embarked with the Viceroy and several others for France, but luckily touching at the Isle of St. Helena met Captain [William] Hutchinson [ of the Sunderland ], who was so obliging to take me on board, being almost starved in the French ship.
3-A.
RICHARD LAZINBY."
No. 99. Deposition of Richard Lazinby (Extract).
"And this deponent further saith that during his stay at the said island Don Mascarenhas he saw and discoursed with Captain Condon and about forty of his people, who had been a pyrating, that they told him they had taken a rich India ship, which they brought to Madagascar and sunk her at or near Port St. Mary's, 38 and from thence came to Don Mascarenhas on the encouragement of the French King's Act of Grace, that about fifteen of them came from thence taking passage on a French ship called the Triton, bound for Europe, on which this deponent also took passage in November last, that Captain Condon and about eighteen more continued on the island and the rest were dead. That this deponent understood from the French Directore there that the French East India Company's orders were that, if any of the pirates on the island died leaving a wife, his widow should enjoy
37 Bernardin de St. Pierre says the French took possession after the Dutch abandoned it in 1712. 38 Commodore Matthews in 1721/2 found at St. Mary's the wreck of a fine Jeddah ship which had been taken by Capt. Condon of the Flying Dragon with 13 lakhs of treasure on board. The pirates, in ignorance of or careless of their value, had left all the rest of the cargo, spices, drugs, cloth and guns, lying on the shore. (Biddulph, Pirates of Malabar, p. 186.) According to Johnson, History of the Pirates (II, 140, 143), the Flying Dragon was a former privateer which Condon (or Condent) took from the Dutch off the island of St. Jago. Johnson says that he assisted in the capture of the Viceroy of Goa (which seems unlikely from Lazinby's account) and that he retired to St. Malo where he became a merchant. Condon was in Madagascar in 1720 (see Miscellaneous Letters Received, Vol. 12, No. 256).