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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MAY, 1926
French 388. In 1689 war broke out between France and England. In July 1690 the English Company's ship Herbert, or Philip Herbert, was surprised at Johanna by a fleet of French ships Ander Admirol Duquesne.73 The Herbert was a ship of 800 tons (Astley, III, 391), built for 80 guns (but carrying only 54), and had a crew of 250 men. About 80 passengers were on board. Though in those days male passengers were expected to take part in the defence of a ship, the odds were still so great that a successful defence was well nigh impossible. Captain Burton therefore attempted to escape under Dutch colours. This ruse being discovered, he stil! refused to surrender, though after the first few shots Duquesne informed him that he would hang him from his own yard arm if he persisted in a useless resistance. Finally, the Herbert caught fire and blew up and almost every one on board perished. Some six men escaped to Johanna in the longboat, where they met the Dutch ship Pearl and carried the news to India (Madras Cons., 20th October 1690). The English account (Ind. Off. 0. C., 5724) says that Duquesne refused quarter. Le Maire (Relation, p. 49) says that Burton, after getting the ship on fire, escaped in a boat with a few men, leaving the rest to their fate, and that the French could not give any succour as the heat prevented them from approaching the burning vessel. As Captain Burton was never heard of again, the aspersion on his character may be disbelieved, whilst as to the cruelty of the French, another French acoount (Journal d'un voyage aux Indes Orientales, 1721) says:"Several of the English threw themselves into the sea, hoping to find in the French more humanity than they had found in their own captain who was their countryman. They swam to the Oiseau (Capitaine, le Chevalier d'Aire. "Il est Normand, par conséquent ennemi mortel des Anglois et malheur à ceux de cette nation qui tombent sous sa coupe." Ibid., I, 4] which vessel was the nearest, and cried their Kom-Frenchman [sic]. Leurat (Maitre d'Equipage ou Capitaine des Matelots) pitied them though a Provençal, a nation little inclined to pity. He told M. d'Aire that some Englishmen were crying for help. "Can you feed them ?' said M. d'Aire coldly. They will live with the crew and can be divided amongst the squadron,' answered Leurat. 'You are a fool,' said M. d'Aire, 'It is better to let them drink as they are already doing,' and he did not save a single one. I make no remarks on this. The people who are the chief approvers of his action are the Jesuits." Duquesne held a royal commission but flew a flag of his own. On one side were his arms; on the other Pope Adrian's motto, Libertas sine Licentia' (Leguat New Voyage, p. 5).
Anglo-Americans. 889. In November 1690 the Madras Council were embarrassed by the necessity of dealing with some twenty English pirates sent them by the Dutch from Batavia. These men had been taken in Malacca, and some had been brought to Madras in June and others in Sep. tember. As they were "importunate for their tryall " and expensive to keep, & Court. Martial was held on the 17th. Two were pardoned on condition of giving evidence against the rest, all of whom the Court found "equally guilty, but in consideration of the small execution they had done, and that Justice is inclined to meroy, the Court thought fit to sentence two to death as well for example as Torrour sake, taking the fortune of the dice, the rest to be branded (with the letter P) in the forehead at the execution post " (Madras Consultations).
390. Towards the end of 1890 or beginning of 1691, Mr. Samuel Blackmore reported from Tonquin to Madras that he had sent a quantity of the Company's goods to Siam for sale, but could not do any trade, it being demanded that he should first make good the losses of the Siamese by an English pirate (Madras Cons., 20th Feb. 1690-1).
73 Duquesne's fleet consisted of Le Gaillard (60 guns, 300 men), L'Oiseau (44 guns, 250 men), L'Escueil (42 guns, 200 men), La Florisfante (42 guns, 230 men), Le Dragon (40 guns, 200 mon), and Le Lion (38 guns, 176 men) (Leibbrandt. Rambles ; p. 106).
