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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ NOVEMBER, 1926
Khan,Po a great Court noble. Hamilton says (I. 233) that at this time many country ships carried European officers, Captains receiving £10 to £16 a month with free carriage for a certain amount of goods. Often also they carried European gunners and boatswains and sometimes suggeons (See pana. 486 above). In this case the Quedah Merchant was commanded by an Englishman, John Wright, who had 12 Europeans on board, but offered no resistance, in return for which complaisance Kidd fully compensated him for his personal losses. Wright after. wards explained his conduct by saying that he could not fire on a ship bearing the King's commission (Surat to Bombay, 16th April 1698), but as a matter of fact he could not have known this at the time. Kidd when he hailed the ship had hoisted French colours as a decoy, and when he ordered the Captain to come on board, Wright sent the gunner, one Leroy a Frenchman, with a French pass. He declared himself to be the Captain, whereupon Kidd announced himself to be English and declared the Quedah Merchant a good prize. Later, Kidd discovered that the ship belonged to friendly parties, but no explanation has ever been given as to why she carried a French pass (Ship Cara, dated 14th January 1697-8), unless indeed native ships bought passes from both sides. The merchants on board begged Kidd to accept a ransom and to let them go. Kidd asserted that he was willing to do so but that his men would not allow him. However this may be, Kidd landed his prisoners (including Captain Wright) at Caliout and at last released poor Captain Parker. Here the Indian prisoners were offered a passage home by Captain Hyde of the Dorrill, but they used up 80 much water for themselves and their servants, from whom they refused to be parted, that he had to put them, bitterly complaining, ashore. When all these circumstances became known, the indignation against the English was so great that the Governor of Surat placed guards on all their Factories, and it was with the greatest difficulty that Sir John Gayer was able to resist the extravagant demands which were made upon him (Log of the Dorrill. Bruce, III, 270).
456. About twenty days later Captain Hyde came up with Kidd himself off Kallequilone (Kayan Kulam) and retook one of his prizes. In fact, he asserted that he would have taken Kidd also, had he been properly supported by the Dutch ship Blessing and a Portuguese ship which were in company with him, but they refused to attack on the plea97 that their orders were to fight only in self defence " which we believe is true, for that the Dutch do seem to be very glad of the scandal we lie under for piracy, and on all occasions cast the odium on us, hoping it will be a means at last to ruin our trade" (Bombay to Court, 26th April 1998, Home Misc., XXXVI, p. 373). Kidd had no difficulty in disposing of such part of his booty as was too bulky or was unsuitable to keep, for he was able to trade openly with the natives. Stavorinus (III, 238) mentions that he so traded with the Raja of Callequilon (Kayan Kulam, capital of Ouad, the Raja of which was the earliest ally of the Dutch). The Dutch pretended that this was contrary to their wishes. However, his narrow escape from Captain Hyde off this place was not an incident much to his liking, especially now that he had got sufficient booty to pay for the expenses of his voyage. His ship too was in need of cleaning for when, about this time, he chased the ship Sedgwick (Madras to Anjengo, afterwards captured by Chivers (See para. 445 above) for three whole days and nights in a calm, he managed to outrow her, but as soon as a breeze sprang up she outsailed him and made good her escape (Madras to Fort St. David, 7th April 1698). Bruce indeed says (III, 271) that after capturing the Quedah Merchant, Kidd cruised with his prize on the Malabar Coast, whilst the Mocha and her consort cruis. ed between Comorin and Achin.This does not prove that Kidd and Culliford collaborated, for it may have been due quite as much to mutual distrust as to a wish to make a fair division of a good cruising ground. At any rate, Kidd must have left the Malabar Conet early in March.
6 In a letter from Madrae to Bengal, dated 29 Sept. 1698, it is stated that Makhlia Khau claimed to have himself lost 200,000 rupees on the Quedah Merchant,
97 So when on the 8 June 17 20 an English ship requested the convoy of some Dutch ship at the Cape, the Governor informed the captain that he might sail in company with the Dutch ships if he pleased, but that "our ships had no ordors to attack anyone unless when first attackod " (Leibbrandt, Précis, p. 280.)
