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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
( JANUARY, 1992
"The Directeur sent in reply a message that we were merchants and did not keep our money idle; therefore we had but little in hand, and could not place any At his service ; if, however, a little broadcloth or spices would be acceptable, we should be pleased to make him a present of some. The Greek was further charged to tell Siwagie that, since he had never injured our Company at Wingurla, but on the contrary had treated our factors there very well, we trusted that we should receive equal consideration from him here, and that we were merely endeavouring to protect our property against any who might, without his knowledge, have designs against us. All this the Greek undertook to deliver in the most persuasive way and to let the Directeur know the result; and after drinking a glass of wine he took his departure.
"No sooner had we finished our midday meal than an alarm was given; but our two guns placed at the door of the factory, intimidated the would-be marauders. About one o'clock the conflagration burst out afresh, principally in the northern and eastern parts of the city, and the flames spread so rapidly that our destruction appeared imminent; but God was merciful, and a change of the wind from east to north stopped the fire about a musketshot from our factory. Understanding that the English had made sorties in various directions, we sent a few lines to their President, inquiring as to the truth of this and asking what reply had been made to Siwagie's demands, at the same time stating what we had done in the matter, and adding that what we most feared was the fire. The bearer was the Company's waterman, who, looking like a beggar, had no difficulty in passing through the enemy. He brought a reply that the President meant to hold out till the last : that two or three sorties had been made, in which two of the rogues and a horse had been killed and two more taken prisoners. As the conflagration seemed to be increasing again, it was determined to pull down the thatch of part of the factory; and as a precaution against attack we built barricades of goods inside the gates.
"The king's wakiah navís (intelligencer), who had taken refuge in the castle, wrote to the Directeur, asking that certain chests in his house (hard by ours) might be fetched into our factory for safety; but this was refused, it being his business to look after his own property, and moreover, if we complied with his wishes, he might hold us responsible for their loss, should the factory be burnt. Our anxiety was increased by the fact that the Macassar and her consort had been delayed in their departure by having to wait for the tide to turn, and there were strong rumours that forty of Siwangie's frigates were in the river and were seizing all shipping.
"Happily, however, before dark our fears were allayed by the arrival of & pote from Signor Roermont, announcing that our vessels had reached Swally Hole in safety. We were still uneasy because the Greek had not returned with an account of Souwagie's reception of our answer; and the more so because Signor Roermont had sent us word that he was dispatching the Macassar to us again with four or five seamen and a supply of lead and hand grenades.
"During the first watch of the night the fires continued burning fiercely round us in a semicircle and there was a great noise of musketry and drums, mingled with yells and groans. We were thankful, however, to find that the rascals appeared to be Bo much afraid of us that they kept as far as possible out of our sight,
